Saturday, May 16, 2015

A lot of people ask me if it's possible to gain strength and size while losing body fat and the answer is YES- it's called carb cycling.

Carb cycling is just that- you cycle high and low carb days depending on your goals and activity level (current and desired). The number of each high or low carb days depends on a lot of factors but mainly your starting point, where you want to be, activity level, etc

High carb days allow our metabolism to rev up, while the low carb days help keep your insulin levels low enough to burn fat while maintaining muscle (source: muscleandfitness.com)

"Think of the high carb days as adding fuel to your calorie burning fire. And on the low carb days, your body will burn fat instead of the usual carbohydrates. This combination allows for maximum fat burning while maintaining muscle.

Not all carbs are created equal. There are good carbs (complex carbs which cause a slower change in blood glucose levels) and bad carbs (simple carbs which cause spikes in blood glucose levels). Foods such asdonuts, candy and french fries are all bad choices and have no place in any diet. You want your carbs to come from vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fruits, and whole oats." (muscleandfitness.com)

On low carb days, you should replace your carb calories with good fats: almonds, avocados, etc.

If you are interested in a carb cycling meal plan, please email me for rates: sarahbowmar.blogspot.com